The Technology
Conventional computer architecture (von Neumann architecture) is based on a separation between the computation (i.e., CPU) and the storage (i.e., memory). This architecture is simple and widely used, but is problematic for memory-intensive application due to the need to read and write (load and store) from the memory, where the bottleneck is the data transfer and not the processing itself. To improve the performance and reduce the power of these applications, specific accelerators are usually used, although the need to transfer the data is still the major limitation. Emerging memory technologies (e.g., Resistive RAM, STT-MRAM, PCM, CBRAM, namely memristors) are fundamental components with a varying resistance which depends on the current that previously flowed through it. These devices are considered as potential replacements for SRAM, DRAM, and Flash. While using these devices as memory is the natural application, they can also be used for other applications, including as a building block for logic circuits.
The technology is a novel method which can be fabricated within the memory, opening opportunity to perform logic within the memory and enabling new computer architectures, without changing the basic memory structure. This technology is backward compatible with von Neumann architecture.
Advantages
- Significant improve in performance (throughput) for numerous applications.
- Reduce bandwidth.
- Reduce power.
- Backward compatible with von Neumann architecture.
- No need to change the memory architecture.
Applications and Opportunities
- Main memory that can perform logical operations, without the need to have a different circuitry or to transfer the storage mechanism.
- The technology gives a solution for various emerging memory technologies.
- Applicable for many computing tasks (artificial intelligence, databases, genomics and more).
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